Europe’s winter energy crunch may already be underway. Two U.S. stocks that may benefit

POWER POINTWhat I'm hearing from energy insidersOil flows through Hormuz are rising, more ships are safely getting through the Strait, and oil prices seem to be coming down — at least for now. Goldman Sachs wrote Wednesday that Persian Gulf exports have "recovered to their 2025 average after doubling in September." The firm expects Brent crude prices to "moderate" to $85 per barrel by year's end. That's good news on oil, and maybe good news for both the United States and China.My take → I know the term "reopen the Strait of Hormuz" is popular, but I just can't bring myself to say it. Hormuz is an international waterway, and no one country can "close" it. Yes, Iran — or the Houthis in Yemen — can threaten ships in Hormuz or near the Red Sea, making it more dangerous to pass through. But no country has the power to "open" or "close" a public, international waterway. I get that I'm the outlier in saying that — and I wouldn't have it any other way.The not-so-good news involves natural gas and Europe. Despite the improvement around Iran and oil, it could still be a long, expensive winter for our friends in Germany and much of Europe.For five years, I've been highlighting a few of the co...